Fastener



FASTENER Filed Apil 2, 1225 Patented Mar. `8, 1927.

EMANUEL IDBESNER, OF ,GHIGAGQ ILLINDIS.

@ASTENER- Applicaton led April 2, 1925.

My invention relates to luggage and more specifically to an improved lock for holding in closed position the parts of a piece of luggage built to be opened up for access to the interior. I t is particularly useful 1n connection with Gladstone bags, on account of the structural Weakness of the double hinge, and the resultant necessity for supporting both frames when the bag 1s carried.

Among the objects and advantages of the invention may be enumerated:

First, to provide a fastener for luggage frames forming Y a strong positive tension connection for 'holding the'frames together at 7the point of engaging.

Second, to use nearly all of the structure of the old type of fastener in so doing.

Third, to retain the operation o f the fastener formerly employed, vvit'h which users are already familiar, and to 'perform the additional fastening operation in such a Way as to minimize the manual effort and thought required of the user.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the des cription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completeV assembly of the external portion of a fastener according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a central transverse section With the lock in -locked position;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is Figure l;

Figure 5 is av section on line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational diagram of a complete bag indicating the location of the various fasteners.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the dished housing 10 is provided With attaching lugs 12 adapted to pass through openings 14 1n the frame 16, hereinafter referred to as the bag or handle frame, and to be clinched over to hold the housing in place. An upper pivoted arm plate 18 is mounted on a transverse pintle 2O in the housing 10, and Imay move a section on line 4-4 of from the position shown in Figure 1 down to that shown in Figure 2 With its depending side flanges 22 abutting the housing 10./

A leaf spring 24 bears against suitably dis- Seria-l No. 20,143.

posed flats or projections 26 to bias the arm toward either extreme position.

In, the devices of the prior art this arm carried an arcuate tang adapted to slide through a registering aperture in the front frame 28. While this vvas adequate to protect against horizontal separation of' the frames from the position shown in Figure 5, the inclined edge of the tang Where it passed through frame 28 allowed the dead Weight carried by frame 28 and pulling down on the same to separate ,the frames vertically, pulling sideways and warping all the parts. Thistendency was particularly bad in Gladstone bags because the double hinge at the bottom lof the bag Will not support frame 2 8 at all.

I'n place of such a tang, I employ a bolt element 30 pivota'lly mounted in arm 18 about its own axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the arm. Frame 2,8 has its. upper leg cut away at 32 Where the loop 3,4 1s' suitably attached as by rivets 36 fastening the loop to the vertical leg.` The slot 38 receives bolt 30, Which, at least Where it passes through said slot, is flattened and provided With side notches 40 positioned to register With slot 88 and permit rotation ofthe bolt to the position shovvn in Figure 2, Iin which position any lforce tending `to separate frame 28 vertically from frame 16 is -`carried by direct tension in the bolt.` Beyond slots 40 I ycontinue the bolt to lform a head 42 having Vshaped notches v44. VTo

prevent rotation of arm 18 beyond the position in Figure 1, the parts are so proportioned that the remoteshoulders of vnotches 44 Will underlie housing 10 at the end of the slotl 46. Notches 44 are provided on both sides so that the bolt can be turned completely. around Without interfering with the operation.

I have provided suitable means for pivotally sup-porting bolt 30 on arm 18 and for biasing it toward either the fastened or the unfastened position. In the present instance this means comprises a flange 48 abutting the upper surface of arm 18, a transverse pin 50 below the arm, and a resilient plate 52 stamped out of light sheet metal, having grooves 54 adapted to receive pin 50 and elevated .areas 56 adapted to press against the pin and bias it toward the grooves. The plate is made square and of suitable dimensions to abut flanges 22, thereby holding itself against rotation, and the insertion of pin completes the assembly without the necessity of any other fastening means.

Figure 6 illustrates a complete bag having a handle 58, a. key lock and two fasteners 62 according to Figure 1. The key lock also provides a tension connection so that frames 16 and 28 are closely bolted together at three different points. The upward force exerted on handle 58 is communicated in the first inst-ance to frame 16 only, at two spaced points. Each point is located intermediate the key lock 60 and one of the end fasteners 62, end fasteners 62 being preferably positioned a little farther from the ends of the handle than the key lock 60, to get them a little nearer the ends of the bag as a whole, and more efficiently transmit the force to the bottom hinges located at 6ft.

Vithout further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the. same for use under various conditions of service, without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute thev essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A lock for luggage comprising a housing, an arm pivoted on said housing to lie flat on top of the same or swing up at an angle thereto, and a bolt pivoted about its own axis normal to said arm to project through said housing and fasten. an element below the same. Y

2. A lock for luggage comprising a housing, an arm pivoted on said housing to lie fiat on top of the 'same or swing up at an angle thereto, and a bolt pivoted about its own axis normal to said arm to project through said housing and fasten an element below the same, said bolt having a portion positioned to engage said housing and limit outward movement of said arm.

3, A lock for luggage comprising a housing, an arm pivoted on said housing to lie flat on top of the same or swing up at an angle thereto, and a bolt pivoted about its own axis normal to said arm to project through said housing and fasten an element below the same, said bolt having irregularities of contour moved into and out of ensame, and resilient means biasing said bolt toward locked or unlocked position.

5. A lock for luggage comprising a support,a bolt passing through said support and movable by rotation about its own axis, said bolt having a shoulder on one side of said support, a transverse pin in said bolt out the other side of said support, and a leaf spring held between said pin and support to bias the bolt to;y fastened or unfastened position, said leaf spring and support having` registering irregularities of contour to hold said spring against rotation about the axis of the bolt.

6, A fastener comprising a body, an arm pivoted on said body to move toward and away from the same, and a bolt pivoted on said arm for rotation about an axis at an angle to said arm, said bolt having irregularities in contour operative when said arm is moved toward said body to fasten an element moved into alignment with the bolt 7 A fastener comprising a body, an arm pivoted on said body, and a bolt pivoted on said arm for rotation about an axis at an angle to said arm, said bolt having irregularities in contour to fasten an element moved into engagement therewith.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of March, 1925.

,EMANUEL DRESNER. 

